Elevated erosion resistant manifold

ABSTRACT

A system for use in a well includes a completion system having a screen assembly and an alternate path system disclosed along the screen assembly, the alternate path system including a transport tube and a packing tube placed in fluid communication at a manifold via a contoured crossover port within the manifold, the manifold being disposed along the screen assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present document is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/830,149, filed Apr. 5, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Gravel packs are used in wells for removing particulates from inflowing hydrocarbon fluids. Generally, a completion having a sand screen assembly or a plurality of sand screen assemblies is deployed downhole in a wellbore and a gravel pack is formed around the completion. To facilitate the gravel pack, the completion may include an alternate path system to help prevent premature slurry dehydration in open hole gravel packs. An alternate path system utilizes transport tubes and packing tubes which provide an alternate path for gravel slurry delivery. The transport tubes deliver gravel slurry to the packing tubes via crossover ports. However, directing the gravel slurry into the packing tubes can cause erosion of the packing tubes which can sometimes lead to holes, fractures, and/or other packing tube damage.

Attempts have been made to resist erosion by cladding an exterior of the packing tube at a location downstream of the crossover port. However, the material of the packing tube remains subject to erosive flow internally of the cladding. Once the packing tube material is thinned out sufficiently, the packing tube can lose its pressure bearing capacity and cracks can develop in the relatively brittle cladding material. As a result, the packing tube can burst under the pressures reached during packing of relatively lengthy wellbores. Additionally, some cladding processes involve inserting an end of the packing tube into the structure containing the crossover port and then welding the packing tube to the structure. Subsequently, cladding material is added, but this can result in a time-consuming and expensive manufacturing process.

SUMMARY

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for use in a well includes a completion system having: a screen assembly; and an alternate path system disposed along the screen assembly, the alternate path system including a transport tube and a packing tube placed in fluid communication at a manifold via a contoured crossover port within the manifold, the manifold being disposed along the screen assembly, wherein the contoured crossover port comprises an acute angle.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a manifold includes a contoured crossover port, wherein the manifold is configured to receive a transport tube extending therethrough, the transport tube configured to be in fluid communication with a packing tube at the manifold via the contoured crossover port.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method includes manufacturing at least a portion of a manifold using metal, the manifold including: a contoured crossover port including an acute angle, wherein the manifold is configured to receive a transport tube extending therethrough, the transport tube configured to be in fluid communication with a packing tube at the manifold via the contoured crossover port.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method includes transporting a gravel pack slurry in an alternate path system disposed along a screen assembly, the alternate path system including a transport tube and a packing tube placed in fluid communication at a manifold via a contoured crossover port within the manifold, the manifold being disposed along the screen assembly; diverting flow of the gravel pack slurry through the contoured crossover port in the manifold from the transport tube into the packing tube; and delivering the gravel pack slurry to a wellbore annulus via the packing tube.

However, many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying figures illustrate the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologies described herein, and:

FIGS. 1a and 1b show a manifold according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2a and 2b show a prior art machined manifold;

FIG. 3 shows a comparison of resulting flow velocity contours between a 90 degree crossover port and a contoured crossover port in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 shows a comparison of particle tracks between a 90 degree crossover port and a contoured crossover port in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the apparatus and/or method may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible.

In the specification and appended claims: the terms “up” and “down,” “upper” and “lower,” “upwardly” and “downwardly,” “upstream” and “downstream,” “uphole” and “downhole,” “above” and “below,” and other like terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element are used in this description to more clearly describe some embodiments of the disclosure.

The present disclosure generally involves a system and methodology to facilitate formation of gravel packs in wellbores and thus the subsequent production of well fluids. A well completion is provided with an alternate path system for carrying gravel slurry along an alternate path so as to facilitate improved gravel packing during a gravel packing operation. The system and methodology are very useful for facilitating formation of a gravel pack along relatively lengthy wellbores, such as extended reach open hole wells having wellbore lengths of, for example, 4000-8000 feet. However, the system and methodology may be used with wells having lengths greater or less than this range.

In some of these relatively lengthy wellbore applications, pressures in the packing tubes at the heel of the completion can rise above, for example, 4000 psi and even up to 8000 psi or more. It should be noted gravel packing operations for these types of longer wellbores can utilize substantially increased proppant volumes. The increased flow of proppant via gravel slurry as well as the higher pressures can potentially lead to increased erosion of the alternate path system and especially increased erosion of the packing tubes.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a completion system includes a screen assembly and an alternate path system disposed along the screen assembly. The alternate path system may include a transport tube and a packing tube placed in fluid communication at a manifold via a contoured crossover port within the manifold. The manifold is disposed along the screen assembly. The manifold is about 6 inches in length according to one or more embodiments. Because the manifold includes a contoured crossover port and is about 6 inches in length, the manifold according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure exhibits enhanced erosion resistance when compared to a manifold having a 90 degree crossover port that is only 3.5 inches in length, for example. During a gravel packing operation, for example, the fluid flow is in the form of a gravel slurry carrying proppant through the transport tube and into the packing tube via the contoured crossover port in the manifold. In some embodiments, the completion system may comprise multiple screen assemblies with multiple corresponding manifolds disposed along a wellbore.

In various embodiments, the manifold (or manifolds) is responsible for the functionality enabling an alternate path system so as to achieve long distance open hole gravel packs. The manifold delivers slurry (which is a combination of suspension fluid and proppant, e.g. gravel) to the wellbore annulus by diverting flow through a contoured crossover port in the manifold from transport tubes into packing tubes. The packing tubes then deliver the slurry to the annulus. Once the wellbore annulus is packed with proppant, e.g. gravel, at a given well zone, the proppant effectively backs up through the packing tube all the way to the manifold. The packed proppant/gravel in the packing tubes presents a restriction, which inhibits further flow of suspension fluid through those packing tubes.

The restriction effectively forces the slurry to flow farther along the wellbore through the transport tubes and out through packing tubes in subsequent well zones to ensure proppant is carried to the toe of the well during lengthy gravel packs. Sometimes a substantial portion of the open hole wellbore may be packed via flow of slurry through a relatively small number of the packing tubes. This means that the relatively small number of packing tubes could potentially be subjected to tens of thousands of pounds of proppant during the packing of extended reach wells. This can further increase the chance of packing tube erosion—at least without utilizing the system and methodology described herein.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1a and 1b , a manifold according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Specifically, FIGS. 1a and 1b show an alternate path system 100 including a transport tube 102 and a packing tube 104 placed in fluid communication at a manifold 106 via a contoured crossover port 108 within the manifold 106. As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b , in one or more embodiments, the transport tube 102 and the packing tube 104 at least partially extend through the manifold 106, and a carbide liner 110 of the packing tube 104 may be at least partially inserted into a recess of the manifold 106. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the carbide liner 110 may provide additional erosion resistance for the alternate path system 100. As particularly shown in FIG. 1 a, the contoured crossover port 108 within the manifold 106 provides for a smoothly contoured flow 112 of gravel pack slurry from the transport tube 102 and into the packing tube 104 via the contoured crossover port 108. As specifically shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b , the contoured crossover port 108 is an acute angle, partial flow diversion from a main transport tube 102 within the manifold 106 into a secondary parallel flow path, i.e., the packing tube 104. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a transition length of the acute angle of the contoured crossover port 108 is curved to gradually “turn” and partially divert the flow from the transport tube 102 within the manifold 106 into a path of the packing tube 104 that is parallel to the path of the transport tube 102.

Still referring to FIGS. 1a and 1b , according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the manifold 106 measures about 6 inches in length in one or more embodiments. Other lengths of the manifold 106 are feasible and are within the scope of the present disclosure.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, metal additive manufacturing (metal AM) via laser powder bed fusion is utilized to produce either the entire manifold 106 or just the erosion-critical passages within the manifold 106. For example, at least one flow path of the manifold 106 (e.g., the flow path corresponding to the transport tube 102, the contoured crossover port 108, or packing tube 104 entrance) may be manufactured using metal AM via laser powder bed fusion, according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In this way, either at least one flow path of the manifold 106 or the entire manifold 106 may be made of fused metal powder in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

In other embodiments of the present disclosure, a casting manufacturing process may be used to produce either the entire manifold 106 or just the erosion-critical passages within the manifold 106. For example, at least one flow path of the manifold 106 (e.g., the flow path corresponding to the transport tube 102, the contoured crossover port 108, or packing tube 104 entrance) may be manufactured using a casting process according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In this way, either the at least one flow path of the manifold 106 or the entire manifold 106 may be made of casted metal in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring now to FIGS. 2a and 2b for the sake of comparison, a prior art machined manifold is shown. Specifically, FIG. 2b shows an alternate path system 200 including a transport tube 202 and a packing tube 204 placed in fluid communication at a manifold 206 via a crossover port 208 within the manifold 206. FIG. 2b also shows that the packing tube 204 may include a carbide liner 210. In contrast to FIGS. 1a and 1b , the prior art manifold 206 is machined from bar stock and milled with two 90 degree intersecting ports, creating a 90 degree crossover port 208, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b . As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b , for example, the 90 degree crossover port 208 within the machined manifold 206 provides for a sharply angled flow 212 of gravel pack slurry from the transport tube 202 and into the packing tube 204 via the 90 degree crossover port 108. Also in contrast to FIGS. 1a and 1b , the machined manifold 206 measures about 3.5 inches in length.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a comparison of resulting flow velocity contours and particle tracks between a 90 degree crossover port (FIGS. 2a and 2b ) and a contoured crossover port in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure (FIGS. 1a and 1b ) are shown. In view of FIGS. 3 and 4, computation fluid dynamics (CFD) shows the 90 degree crossover port 208 results in the highest velocity particle impacts at the crossover port 208 and at the wall of the packing tube 204 after the crossover port 208. As such, the 90 degree crossover port 208 of FIGS. 2a and 2b presents a substantial erosion risk for the alternate path system 200, especially in extended reach applications. Advantageously, however, the contoured crossover port 108 of FIGS. 1a and 1b allows for fewer particle impacts at the contoured crossover port 108 and lower velocities overall, and shifts the highest velocities away from the wall of the packing tube 104 downstream of the contoured crossover port 108. As such, the contoured crossover port 108 of FIGS. 1a and 1b presents a reduced erosion risk for the alternate path system 100.

The metal AM manifold 106 having the contoured crossover port 108 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure achieves at least 1.4× the performance of the bar stock machined manifold 206 with respect to erosion resistance. The improved erosion resistance may be attributed to at least one of 316L metal AM via laser powder bed fusion resulting in a material structure having greater erosion resistance than annealed bar stock 316L, and an elongated and contoured crossover port 108 within a manifold 106 having a length increased from 3.5 inches to about 6 inches providing a smooth transition of erosive fluid from the transport tube 102 to the packing tube 204. Advantageously, one or more embodiments of the present disclosure enhances the erosion resistance of the manifold, thereby increasing the open hole alternate path gravel pack system's ability to sustain erosive flow for greater amounts of proppant needed to gravel pack extended reach wells.

Although a few embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail above, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible without materially departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Accordingly, such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for use in a well, comprising: a completion system having: a screen assembly; and an alternate path system disposed along the screen assembly, the alternate path system comprising a transport tube and a packing tube placed in fluid communication at a manifold via a contoured crossover port within the manifold, the manifold being disposed along the screen assembly, wherein the contoured crossover port comprises an acute angle.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein a transition length of the acute angle of the contoured crossover port is curved to partially divert fluid from the transport tube within the manifold into a path of the packing tube that is parallel to a path of the transport tube.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the manifold is about 6 inches in length.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one flow path within the manifold is made of fused material powder.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the contoured crossover port within the manifold is made of fused material powder.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the manifold is entirely made of fused material powder.
 7. A manifold, comprising: a contoured crossover port, wherein the manifold is configured to receive a transport tube extending therethrough, the transport tube configured to be in fluid communication with a packing tube at the manifold via the contoured crossover port, wherein the contoured crossover port comprises an acute angle.
 8. The manifold of claim 7, wherein the manifold is about 6 inches in length.
 9. The manifold of claim 7, wherein at least one flow path within the manifold is made of fused material powder.
 10. The manifold of claim 7 wherein the contoured crossover port is made of fused material powder.
 11. The manifold of claim 7, wherein the manifold is entirely made of fused material powder.
 12. A method, comprising: manufacturing at least a portion of a manifold using metal, the manifold comprising: a contoured crossover port comprising an acute angle, wherein the manifold is configured to receive a transport tube extending therethrough, the transport tube configured to be in fluid communication with a packing tube at the manifold via the contoured crossover port.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the manufacturing step comprises casting.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the manufacturing step comprises using metal additive manufacturing via laser powder bed fusion.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the contoured crossover port of the manifold is manufactured using metal additive manufacturing via laser powder bed fusion.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the manifold is entirely manufactured using metal additive manufacturing via laser powder bed fusion.
 17. A method comprising: transporting a gravel pack slurry in an alternate path system disposed along a screen assembly, the alternate path system comprising a transport tube and a packing tube placed in fluid communication at a manifold via a contoured crossover port within the manifold, the manifold being disposed along the screen assembly, wherein the contoured crossover port comprises an acute angle; diverting flow of the gravel pack slurry through the contoured crossover port in the manifold from the transport tube into the packing tube; and delivering the gravel pack slurry to a wellbore annulus via the packing tube.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the manifold is about 6 inches in length.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one flow path within the manifold is made of fused material powder.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the contoured crossover port within the manifold is made of fused material powder.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the manifold is entirely made of fused material powder.
 22. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the contoured crossover port with the manifold; at least one flow path within the manifold; and an entirety of the manifold is made of casted metal. 